What connotations does it have for you? Negative? Positive? Why? “His speech was mere rhetoric.” Rhetor is a “good speaker speaking well.” –classical roman rhetorician Quintilian

Rhetoric refers to two things: The art of analyzing all the language choices that writer, speaker, reader, or listener might make in a given situation so that the text becomes meaningful, purposeful, and effective. The specific features of texts (rhetorical devices), written or spoken, that cause them to be meaningful, purposeful, and effective for readers or listeners in a given situation.

Being able to make good speeches and write good papers, but also to read other people’s compositions and listen to their spoken words with a discerning eye and a critical ear. Reading not only to understand the main and supporting points of what someone writes, but also to analyze the decisions the rhetor makes as he or she works to accomplish a purpose for a specific audience.

Being able to plan and write compositions, not just write them. Being able to examine a situation—in school, in your community, in society as a whole—and determine what has already been said and written, what remains unresolved, and what you might say or write to continue the conversation or persuade readers to take action.

The faculty Aristotle calls it a dynamis—an improvable art of finding not necessarily using, but certainly finding—Aristotle uses the term heuresis, (Greek noun)“of finding” or the English cognate noun heuristic, a systematic process of finding and solving problems—to Aristotle rhetoric was dominated by invention Therefore, both rhetors and rhetorical analysts must be consistently and systematically searching, for what?

all the available means Everything a writer or speaker might do with language of persuasion Writers and speakers aim to shape people’s thoughts and actions in a particular case* Rhetoric capitalizes on specific situations—cases that embody exigence, audience, and purpose. *In your text the quote differs in order: “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion.” What might all those things be? Read over “The Rhetorical Situation” pp 2-3: Why was Gehrig’s speech effective?

audiencesubject speaker or writer

In preparation for the essays of textual analysis on the AP exam, students should practice “doing a SOAPS” on any material. Subject –the general topic of the piece Occasion-the motivation behind the writing Audience –the intended reader Purpose-thesis Speaker-persona and tone of the author, not just the author’s name